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Did you buy the most recent MacBook Air? Tell us what you think.
When Apple unveiled a new Macbook Air last October, we wasted no time in putting the long-awaited refresh through its paces. While the new machine includes an upgraded "butterfly" keyboard, a Touch ID sensor and a Retina display with thinner bezels, it has markedly less inputs than the previous generation: just two USB-C and a headphone jack (no SD card reader in sight, sigh). Although the dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD were more than enough for most day-to-day tasks, we were careful not to make a one-size-fits-all recommendation. After all, the new Air is about the same price as the entry-level MacBook Pro, which packs more power, albeit no fingerprint sensor.
MacBook Air's superfast disk speeds come from Samsung SSDs
Lost in the news of Retina-equipped, 12-inch MacBook was the arrival of all-new MacBook Air models with the latest Intel HD6000 graphics and CPUs. Apple also boasted that the 13-inch version has disk speeds "up to two times faster" than the last generation, and thanks to iFixit, we now know why. The bigger model packs a brand new 128GB M.2 x 4 SSD from frenemy Samsung -- which owns the PCIe SSD market at the moment -- giving it a stellar max read speed of 1,285 MB/s.
Apple boosts MacBook Air and MacBook Pro lines with faster chips
Apple's new smartwatch might be the focus of its "spring forward" event, but the company still had time to surprise us with updates to its MacBook lineup. The all-new "Retina" MacBook with its pressure-sensitive trackpad might get all the attention, but older MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models also got a few tweaks under the hood. They now boast Intel's latest Broadwell Core i5 and i7 processors, more powerful graphics and improvements in the battery department, which means you can eke out over 10 hours with most of its new models.
And a final bonus Caturday: Graham's MacBook Air
Every once in a while there is a Caturday submission that has such a cute cat and great back story that it just calls out for more than one photo. This kitten is Graham, and owner Rob Waag tells the story: Graham is a seven month old kitten that was rescued by my wife. He had been hit by a car and fractured his pelvis and his rear leg. This picture was taken while he was recovering from surgery. Technically, he had bilateral femoral head ostectomies which only slowed him down for about one week. He took a liking to my wife's MacBook Air. He is one of those cats that is alway the center of your attention. The desktop picture is of my son having a libation shortly after leaving the USMC. The picture's significance is that Graham's fur pattern on his head makes him look like he has a Marine haircut. He has recovered very well. You would not know how severely he was injured. He has found a permanent home with us and has become the love of my daughter's life. In this next photo, Graham appears to be using his feline intelligence to figure out how to pop up the screen on the MacBook Air: And in the last picture below, you can see where Graham's flanks were trimmed for his surgery. He seems to be one very happy fellow, and who can blame him when he has a great family to live with and a warm MacBook Air to lay on? Many thanks to Rob Waag and Graham!
Twelve South ParcSlope stand for MacBook provides style and comfort
One of our favorite accessory design shops here at TUAW is Twelve South, and they're our heroes for a couple of reasons. First, they design and manufacture useful and stylish accessories for Apple products only. The second reason? Everything they make is top quality. The latest product to emerge from Charleston, SC is the ParcSlope desktop stand for MacBook (US$49.99). Check out our review, then enter for an opportunity to win a ParcSlope from TUAW and Twelve South. Specifications Dimensions: 2.8" high x 8.3" wide x 9.6" deep (7.1 x 21.1 x 24.3 cm) Weight: 2 pounds (.91 kg) Angle: 18 degrees Design ParcSlope was designed as a hybrid laptop stand instead of the traditional stand that lifts the MacBook off of your desk, requiring you to acquire and use a totally separate keyboard and pointing device. Instead, ParcSlope lifts the back of your MacBook up off of the table, bringing the screen up a bit higher for more comfortable viewing and typing. Made of solid aluminum, ParcSlope works with any MacBook. It doesn't matter if you have a current 11-inch MacBook Air or one of the discontinued 17-inch MacBook Pro monsters, it's going to work for you. As with all other Twelve South accessories, ParcSlope is designed specifically with Apple products in mind. There are some ridges on the top of the unit that allow for screen clearance when the screen is opened on an 11, 13, or 15-inch MacBook (the 17-incher will be off the top of the ParcSlope, so it doesn't need a ridge). There's a silicone lip holding the MacBook in place, and rubber feet on the bottom to keep your desk or table from being scratched. In case you're wondering about the "ParcSlope" name, well - Park Slope is a trendy neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, and the "Parc" pays respect to Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where Steve Jobs and other Apple employees had their first look at a graphical user interface for a computer. Function My test of the ParcSlope was done with a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. Setup of the stand is drop-dead simple; you just put it on the table. You're done. Plop the MacBook Pro on top, open the screen, and get to work. There's some cable management built into ParcSlope as well - there's a hole in the back of the aluminum through which you can weave your power cable, USB cables, Thunderbolt cables (this is perfect with a second display, by the way), you name it. The cables are held in place by the stand when disconnected from the MacBook. Since I usually type on a gently angled Apple Wireless Keyboard that's placed flat onto a desktop, I wasn't sure how I was going to like the steeper angle provided by the ParcSlope. As it was, the higher placement of both the MacBook's screen and having my arms and hands a bit higher up actually felt better than typing on a flat MacBook keyboard. Your mileage may vary; you can get a feel for how the ParcSlope holds the MacBook by grabbing something just under 3 inches in height and sticking it under the back edge of the computer. Conclusion As usual, Twelve South has knocked another one out of the park (or should I say "parc"?) with the ParcSlope. It's solid and should last you through the next ten generations of MacBook, and it makes any MacBook a more comfortable and usable member of the Mac family. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway C'mon, you know you want a ParcSlope of your very own. All you have to do to have a chance at winning one is to fill out the form below. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before January 30, 2015 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Twelve South ParcSlope valued at $49.95. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
The magical disappearing MacBook Air
Apple's ultra-thin MacBook Air already owns the "sleek and sexy" high end of the market, but it could theoretically be so much thinner... if not for those pesky USB, Thunderbolt and MagSafe ports. That may be why the laptop hardware rumor du jour has sparked so much attention. Logically speaking, does it make sense to dump ports for slenderizing? Jason Snell of Six Colors writes of a rational reason the Air could eventually adopt the radical I/O profile (one port only!) posited by rumor king Mark Gurman. The new USB-C connector and USB 3.1 spec, the thinking goes, would replace the charging port, data port and display port -- with 10 Gbps data speed, support for 4K displays, and up to 100 watts of power transfer. It's certainly within the realm of engineering possibility. Would that make for a "magical, revolutionary" laptop? No, but the design of an even-thinner Air pushes it back to its original purpose as a specialized ultra-portable Mac for people with very specific needs. Personally I love my 2011 Air, all 11 inches of it and with its adorable missing E key. I always lusted after the original Air, because I loved the portability -- and when I started traveling a lot, lugging around a huge MacBook Pro got really bad for my back. The MacBook Air is inevitably going to get thinner, just as the iPad has. I'm pretty sure Gurman is on point with this one, or we'll see some variant of a Mac with just one port and killer battery life in an impossibly small package.
Lightweight Loplin Hood designed to shade your MacBook screen
Whether you're tired of having those other people in the Starbucks sneaking a peek at your MacBook screen or just don't like the glare and reflections that you get sometimes, a team from Germany has a possible solution for you on Kickstarter. Called the Loplin Hood, the campaign is for an ultra-lightweight hood that covers the sides and top of your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, attaching magnetically in a few seconds. Weighing just 35 grams, the Loplin Hood uses soft, thin textile to shade the screen, has a self-supporting carbon fiber rod structure, and uses the magnets built into the MacBook to securely attach to the laptop. It will work with the 13- and 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro, as well as the 13-inch MacBook Air. Backers can expect to see their Loplin Hood sometime in April of 2015, and it appears that there will be a choice of colors -- spring green (seen at top), dark cherry red, sea blue, and slate. The team's Kickstarter campaign just launched, so they're only at about 2.8 percent of their goal at this early stage. US backers can get one for about $60 (shipping included). The Loplin Hood is certainly a unique Kickstarter project, and one that should attract the attention of anyone who uses a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air in bright sunlight or in a brightly-lit office.
Caturday: KipperVision
Here's a wonderful set of photos of Kipper, today's TUAW Caturday star. According to owners Michael and Vivienne Morgan, "We've enjoyed Caturday for a few years, and it's our turn to contribute. This is Kipper, a three-year-old Manx, who has two modes of existence: sleeping in a chair and getting between a screen and its viewers." "We gave away the old style CRT TV and cut the cable six years ago, and moved TV viewing from a dedicated room to wherever we happened to be, using a 13" Air or an iPad Air. The downside is that cats can intervene. They don't sleep contentedly on top of the box as they used to, but pace anxiously in front of the screen." "Kipper has never slept on top of an old-style TV. She has never seen a telephone attached to a wall. She thinks her food is delivered by Wi-Fi. I'm worried about her attention span..." We'd love to see photos of your favorite feline soaking up the warmth of an Apple product, chasing a Magic Mouse, or just being a general nuisance while you're attempting to work on your Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Please let us know via our feedback page and please remember that your cat photo has to have some sort of connection to Apple or its products. For security reasons we can't accept inbound attachments, so you should host the photo (Dropbox, Flickr, iPhoto Journals, etc.) and send us the link. Many thanks to Michael & Vivienne Morgan, and of course Kipper. Photos reproduced with permission via Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License.
Best Buy Black Friday deals: $100 off iPad Air 2, $150 off MacBook Air and much more
It's still early November, but with Thanksgiving about 2+ weeks away, the Black Friday deals have already started rolling in. Per usual, Best Buy will have some solid deals that may very well warrant trekking over to the store once you're finished stuffing yourself with turkey and mashed potatoes. Best Buy recently published its upcoming Black Friday deals online. Below are just a few of the Apple items of interest. iPad Deals Starting on Thursday, November 28 at 5PM and running through November 29, shoppers at Best Buy will be able to purchase Apple's new iPad Mini 3 for US$324.99, a solid $75 off the normal list price. Even better, all models -- from 16 GB to 64 GB -- of the iPad Air 2 will be available at a $100 discount. Essentially, you'll soon be able to pick up the new iPad Air 2 for the price of an iPad Mini 3. Notably, the deals will also be available online. MacBook Deals Not to be outdone, there are also some great savings to be had across Apple's MacBook line. Specifically, shoppers will be able to save $150 off of the 13.3-inch MacBook Air and $120 off of the 11.6-inch MacBook Air. With respect to the MacBook Pro, the 13.3-inch model with Retina display will come with $150 worth of savings while the non-Retina model will come with $200 worth of savings. The final pricing looks like this: MacBook Air 13.3-inch - $1049.99 MacBook Air 11.6-inch - $779.99 MacBook Pro Retina Display - $1349.99 MacBook Pro non-Retina - $899.99 iMac Deals The base model 21.5-inch iMac will be available at a modest $20 discount while the 21.5-inch iMac with 8GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive will be available at a $100 discount. Beats Deals With Beats now officially under the Apple umbrella, it's worth mentioning what types of deals are to be had there. Beats by Dre Studio headphones will be available for $199.99, representing $100 in savings. Meanwhile, the Beats by Dre portable speaker will be available for $249.99, representing $150 in savings.
New Microsoft ad pits the MacBook Air against the Lenovo Yoga 3 in a dance-off
Microsoft this weekend released a new advertisement targeting the MacBook Air. The 30-second clip compares Apple's ultra-portable laptop with the new Lenovo Yoga 3. Unlike earlier Microsoft ads that compare hardware and software features, this latest advertisement is lighthearted with a dancing theme the has the two machines going head-to-head in a dance off. Not surprisingly, the Yoga 3 wins this competition due to its touchscreen and flexible hinge that allows the notebook to fold into a tablet.
How would you change the 13-inch, mid-2013 MacBook Air?
Meet the new boss, broadly the same as the old boss. Except this variation of Apple's thin-and-light mobile PC was packing Haswell, Intel's power-sipping wonder chip, capable of giving the 2013 MBA its 12-plus-hour battery life and nippy speed. When we sat this down in front of Tim Stevens' hands, his only gripe was that the device was lacking a retina display, although we're probably still a year or two away from that taking place. Still, we imagine plenty of you out there picked up one of these devices, so why not hop on the forum and tell us if you'd have taken a MacBook Air with a four-hour battery life in exchange for some pixel-dense goodness.
Booq Cobra Brief offers space, protection and good looks
Booq makes a lot of really beautiful high-end bags for a variety of Apple products, many of which I've had the pleasure to review over the past few years. Today I'm taking a look at the Booq Cobra brief (US$295), a sweet-looking laptop bag with the MacBook Pro-toting frequent traveler in mind. Check out the review, and then enter to win this briefcase that will be your constant companion on the road. Specifications Exterior Dimensions: 17.3 x 13 x 4.9 inches (440 x 330 x 125 mm) Interior Dimensions: 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.4 inches (400 x 300 x 35 mm) Weight: 3.4 pounds (1.54 kg) Fits: 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display Materials: Exterior is 1680 denier nylon with water-repellent coating, Interior is 420 denier nylon twill, genuine leather trim, YKK waterproof zippers Design The Cobra brief has very clean lines, with very few protuberances to catch on things as you're running through the airport. The bottom is trimmed with leather backed by waterproof ballistic nylon so it's not an issue if you accidentally set the case down in a puddle. The main compartment zipper wraps all the way around the case, making it simple to open and find what you're looking for. There's a separate compartment for your MacBook Pro, then a big lined compartment with pockets for chargers, your iPhone, your wallet, and pens. Seriously, there's a lot of room in here for anything you may want to carry. You can also choose to put your iPad and iPhone in the open exterior pocket for fast access. What's nice about this case is that while it's good looking, it's not ostentatious. Sure, there are a lot of really high-end cases that are probably even more good-looking, but that could act as an attractant for thieves. The materials are top-notch. I've had several bags (not made by Booq) that use the same ballistic nylon and they are impressively tough. Functionality Among the functional features of the Booq Cobra brief that I like the most are the following: Those YKK zippers are wonderful and smooth-running Leather zipper pulls on all of those zippers Leather grips on the carry handles Detachable keychain inside Foam padding in the MacBook pocket Terralinq Serial Number for return in case of loss or theft Removable shoulder strap with a removable pad A tube of zipper wax is included. Zipper wax. Think about it. There's a loop for attaching the Cobra brief to the handle of a roller bag Other than that, the Cobra brief does what it's supposed to do - carry your laptop and a pile of accessories while you're traveling. It may be expensive at $295, but it's probably the last laptop case you'll need for a long time thanks to the quality of the build. Conclusion Booq has created a wonderful laptop bag for the road warrior in the Cobra brief. It holds a surprising amount of stuff, with more pockets and places to stow gear than you can imagine. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is certainly apt here, as the high price may put off some potential buyers. Those who are willing to open their wallets will have a laptop bog that will last a long, long time. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway For one TUAW reader, the Booq Cobra brief is closer than you think. TUAW and Booq are giving one away, and all you need to do is enter for a chance to win this amazing laptop bag. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before September 28, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Booq Cobra brief laptop bag valued at $295 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
New Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ads target the MacBook Air
Microsoft today launched three new ads for its Surface Pro 3 tablet that compares the device to Apple's MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is featured prominently in all three ads, appearing side-by-side to a Surface Pro 3 equipped with a keyboard and stylus. The ads focus on how the Surface Pro 3 is both a tablet and a laptop, with touchscreen support, pen input and other features that the MacBook Air lacks. Microsoft uses the opportunity to take a few jabs at Apple, claiming in its "Crowded" advertisement that with a Surface Pro 3 "You are more powerful than you think," which is a thinly veiled reference to Apple's recent "Powerful" ads for the iPhone 5s. You can watch the three ads, titled "Crowded," "Head to Head," and "Power," below. Let us know what you think in the comments.
Booq Cobra pack: The ultimate lightweight laptop backpack
Whether you're a college student lugging around a MacBook Air and some books or a creative professional with a MacBook Pro who travels constantly on the job, you probably like the hands-free convenience of a backpack for your laptop. Booq's Cobra pack (US$295) is a lightweight, roomy, and streamlined laptop backpack that will hold up to years of use and abuse. Take a look at our review, then take a chance at winning a Booq Cobra pack in our giveaway. Specifications Exterior Dimensions: 14 x 18 x 9 inches (356 x 457 x 229 mm) Interior Dimensions: 10.6 x 15.5 x 1.5 inches (269 x 294 x 38 mm) Weight 3.57 pounds (1.62 kilograms) Compability: 13- to 17-inch MacBook Air, MacBook Pro Lining: Copper (reddish-orange) nylon, exterior 1680D black nylon Design Highlights The Cobra pack looks more like a futuristic astronaut backpack than what you'd normally see in your local office supply or big box store. It has a very streamlined and square shape, designed to let you hold up to a 17-inch MacBook Pro comfortably inside. Your laptop sits in a protectively padded compartment complete with a water-resistant zipper, and the entire backpack is covered with waterproofed ballistic nylon. There are two zippered side pockets that open and expand to hold a water bottle or umbrella, a front zipper pocket with an open-top phone pocket, two zippered back pockets for an iPad or other goodies, and two shoulder strap pockets for your iPhone or iPod touch. The strap system on the shoulder straps has three adjustment points, meaning that you can configure the pack for ultimate comfort. The back padding of the Cobra is breathable so you won't end up with a sweaty back carrying this backpack in warm, humid weather. Each Cobra pack comes with a Terralinq serial number and bar code so your bag can be returned to you if you're ever parted from it accidentally. Finally, the zippers used by Booq on the Cobra pack are all YKK originals, which means that they're going to work without issues for years. Functionality Highlights Besides looking good, the Cobra pack is designed to hold a lot of stuff! The copper (reddish-orange) interior lining is very useful for ensuring that you'll be able to find things in the bag. That's quite different from the usual black backpack interiors that make it virtually impossible to see inside the dark packs. The strap system is very comfortable, and I like the padded top handle that makes it easy to "one hand" the backpack if you need to carry it to put it into a security scanner. The side water bottle pockets expand to fit even large water bottles, making the Cobra pack perfect for carrying your favorite hydration beverages with you everywhere. I compared the weight of the Cobra pack to that of a few laptop backpacks I have around the office, and though it's much larger, the weight is actually less than those other packs. While the Booq Cobra isn't exactly an inexpensive backpack, it's going to last for years. Why swap out cheap backpacks every year when you can buy one more expensive backpack that will stay with you through college and beyond? That being said, I do wish that Booq would consider bringing the Cobra pack more into the realm of reality with pricing. $300 for a laptop backpack is kinda crazy, folks. To quote two TUAW bloggers, "For $300 it better reply to email for me" (Dave Caolo) and "The only way I'm paying $300 for a backpack is if it's actually a jetpack" (Mike Wehner). Conclusion The Booq Cobra pack is a sleek, futuristic looking laptop backpack that can hold any Apple MacBook and all the rest of your gear and accessories as well. It's lightweight, built to last, water-resistant, and well-padded. But the price tag is so out of line with reality that I'm taking a full star away on my rating. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway OK, if you're like me, Dave, and Mike, you're not going to shell out three Benjamins for the Booq Cobra pack, but that doesn't mean that you can't be the proud owner of one of these premium laptop backpacks. Thanks to Booq Bags, we're giving one away. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before August 9, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Booq Bags Cobra pack valued at $295 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Battle of the Airs: MacBook or iPad?
If you had just enough money to buy one or the other, would you buy a MacBook Air or an iPad Air?
TUAW Poll: Would you buy a Retina MacBook Air?
Apple still hasn't released a Retina display MacBook Air. Would you buy one?
Inateck MacBook Protect felt sleeves are classy, inexpensive
If you're looking for protection for a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, but don't want to spend a lot of money, you usually end up with some generic-looking bag from OfficeMaxStaplesDepot. Wouldn't it be nice to get protection that's classy-looking, yet inexpensive? That's what you'll get with the Inateck MacBook Protect series of felt sleeves. They're made for everything from the 15-inch MacBook Pro down to the 11-inch MacBook Air, and they look great. Price-wise, the 13-inch MP1300, MP1301 and MP1302 have a suggested retail price of US$36.99, but are available on Amazon.com for $16.99, one of the best bargains I've seen for a MacBook sleeve ever. The 15-inch models MP1500 and MP1502 are not currently available, but will be soon. Design Highlights As many TUAW readers know, I have a thing for natural materials being used in Apple accessories. That's what makes the Inateck sleeves so fascinating to me. The felt material is soft, has a good grip to it, and is expertly sewed together. The back of the sleeve has two pockets that would be perfect for an iPhone or maybe a small notebook. Under the flap that secures the sleeve with a Velcro closure you'll find an almost-full-width pocket for an iPad, as well as the MacBook pocket. The latter is lined with silky-smooth microfiber. So your MacBook power supply doesn't scratch your laptop, Inateck also throws in a small bag that closes with an elastic band. It's big enough to hold the power adapter or other accessories, and the band keeps everything in place. Functionality Highlights I was very favorably impressed with the Inateck MacBook Protect sleeves. I keep the outside of my 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display pristine with a Speck shell, and the Inateck sleeve had enough room so that I could still slide it in. One thing you'll find is that when the MacBook is inserted into the sleeve, the external pockets don't have a lot of room. One concern I had with the "iPhone pocket" on the outside is that while an iPhone 5s fits perfectly into the slot, there's no way to secure it into the pocket -- a small Velcro flap would be handy to keep the iPhone from wandering. Whether you choose to use just the sleeve to carry your MacBook in or use it to protect your MacBook from damage when it is thrown into another bag or backpack, it will be cushioned in comfort. Conclusion For back-to-school with a MacBook, the Inateck MacBook Protect sleeves are a bargain and well worth buying even if they're just used to keep your laptop away from scratches in a backpack or bag. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway Even though you can pick up an Inateck MacBook Protect sleeve for a song, we're going to give one away to a TUAW reader. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before July 29, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Inateck MP 1300 MacBook Protect Felt Sleeve valued at $36.99 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
Microsoft offering MacBook Air owners up to $650 in credit towards Surface Pro 3 purchase
In an effort to generate interest in its Surface Pro 3 tablet, Microsoft is offering owners of select MacBook Air models upwards of $650 in trade-in credit. Now why would the folks at Redmond be trying to entice laptop owners with a tablet? Well, Microsoft, in stark contrast to Apple, views its Surface product line as a laptop/tablet hybrid that combines the best of both into a single device. Is the Surface Pro 3 a device that can legitimately replace a MacBook Air? I'm beyond skeptical myself, but we'll see how the promotion actually pans out. As for the promotional details, the offer is valid up until July 31 and, it should go without saying, only working MacBook Air models will be eligible. Recall that Microsoft ran a similar program last Fall when it offered iPad users $200 in store credit if they brought in an old iPad 2, 3 or 4.
Flickr Find: Minimalist to the Max ... or Mac
Above is a Mac setup that takes the idea of minimalism to the max. Just a MacBook Air, a Rain Design stand and a simple keyboard and mouse. Even the surrounding black and white room matches the austere setup. Did you know that TUAW has a Flickr pool? And that we encourage readers to submit their own Apple related images? Please visit the pool and share your images as we'd love to see your photos. (Photo "My Old Setup" was taken by Flickr member julle1_)
HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase: A TUAW Video Review
Sometimes you need the professionalism of a briefcase to carry your MacBook; other times, you need both hands free so a backpack is the answer. The HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase (US$109.95) provides both a clean-looking briefcase and a race-through-airports backpack in one sleek package. Check out the specs below, watch the video review, and then enter our giveaway to win this versatile bag. Specifications Outside dimensions: 16.5 x 11.5 x 8.75 inches (41.9 x 29.2 x 22.2 cm) Weight: 2 lbs, 2 oz (approx. 1 kg) Interior padded & fleece-lined 15" MacBook slot, interior zippered gear pocket, external zippered iPad pocket 2 external gear pockets and rear document pocket Quickly converts from a briefcase to backpack Zippered pockets designed for both horizontal and vertical orientation Slim profile design Conclusion While the HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase is certainly versatile and can handle a 15-inch MacBook Pro, it's a bit pricy compared to other laptop bags and somewhat plain-looking. If you're carrying a 13-inch or smaller MacBook Pro or Air, you might want to consider the equally-versatile and much sportier Hayward or Westmore Convertible Laptop Sleeves and save fifty bucks in the process. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway With summer travel heading your way both for business and pleasure, the HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase could be just the thing for carrying your MacBook Pro all over the world. We're giving one away, courtesy of HEX. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before May 24, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a HEX Convertible Laptop Briefcase valued at $109.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
